NEWS RELEASE
GUELPH MUSICFEST
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Guelph Musicfest opens its 15th season on July 9 with concerts in the beautiful Guelph Youth Music Centre Recital Hall and streamed online with Digital Musicfest!
The July opening concert features rising star cellist Arlen Hlusko, a Canadian performer living in New York City and featured in the prestigious Strad magazine. July 24 sees the return of the internationally-acclaimed Rolston String Quartet, winner of the first prize at the 12th Banff International String Quartet Competition and the grand prize at the 31st Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition.
November features two linked piano recitals this season with the theme of 24. Vancouver’s Robert Silverman, after a year of intense study and reflection, performs the hugely influential and amazing 24 Preludes and Fugues (Well-Tempered Clavier, book 1) by J.S. Bach, followed a week later by British/Canadian pianist Valerie Tryon (internationally recognized as one of the master interpreters of Romantic repertoire) performing Chopin’s breathtaking 24 Preludes, inspired by Bach.
Violinist Sadie Fields visits from her home in Brussels, Belgium, to rejoin cellist Paul Pulford and pianist/festival director Ken Gee in the Festival Trio. The programme features the sensational Shostakovich Trio, Romantic music by Tchaikovsky, Spanish delights by Manuel de Falla, and a contemporary-Canadian Trio.
New for 2021 are Musicfest Master Classes. The November performers will present Master Classes in the afternoons following each concert (for a limited time, included with your subscription).
Guelph Musicfest was one of the only festivals anywhere to complete its entire 2020 season with in-person concerts, made possible by a change of schedule, online presentation, and a bit of luck. This season mimics last year’s revised schedule.
Only 50 audience members will likely be allowed in July, so only subscribers will have access to seating at the GYMC. Hopefully, the audience limit will be at least 100 people in November.
All concerts will be available online to anyone, anywhere, through Digital Musicfest. Concerts will stream live, and an HD video replay with CD-quality stereo sound will be available online for one week following each performance. People with Digital Musicfest tickets can “trade up” later to in-person concerts for a modest fee if seats are available.
The last gasp of the pandemic brings the most ambitious Guelph Musicfest ever, and many people are no doubt eager to hear live Classical music in person again, and from that sentiment comes the Season 15 theme: BREATHE AGAIN… Prelude to Rebirth Around the World!
For complete information, click here.
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